


Worn

by akamine_chan



Category: due South
Genre: Community: ds_snippets, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-01
Updated: 2008-02-01
Packaged: 2017-10-05 09:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/40070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akamine_chan/pseuds/akamine_chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray looked into the mirror and sighed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worn

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the LiveJournal Community ds_snippets
> 
> Notes: Beta'd by the sumptuous and splendiferous Simplystars, who has an amazing grasp of where I go wrong and how to fix it. For Cysefin, for taking those brave steps out of lurkerhood into the realm of fangrrls.
> 
> Prompt: twinge

Ray looked into the mirror and sighed. He looked like shit. The abrasion from yesterday's scuffle had bloomed into a spectacular greenish-black bruise over an eye mostly swollen shut. He could barely lift his arms above his head due to the cracked ribs and there was a new twinge in his knee that did not feel right at all. Ray had awkwardly bandaged the cut on his forehead after applying some of the stinky caribou-horn-and-sea-cucumber salve Fraser had left behind...

He leaned his weight gingerly against the bathroom sink and brought his face closer to the mirror. In the flickering ancient florescent light, he looked tired. Old. There were dark bags under his eyes and deep grooves surrounding his mouth. The stubble on his jaw was more gray than not. When had he started to look as burnt out as he felt?

Exhaustion was evident in the blue eyes that stared back at him. He'd been working as many hours as he could, extra shifts and overtime, doing whatever it took to keep from thinking about how much his life sucked now, how cold and lonely his bed was in the dark hours of the night. In spite of his fatigue, sleep eluded him and when he closed his eyes, all he could see was Fraser.

Ray shrugged at his reflection and carefully peeled off his clothes, turning the shower on and stepping into the stall. Fraser was gone, back to Canada; Ray hadn't been enough to keep him here in Chicago. He leaned wearily against the cool tile, shivering and wondering if he'd ever feel warm again. He ducked under the spray and scrubbed roughly at his face, chasing away the tears, washing hope down the drain.

-fin-


End file.
